Refrigerator door



Dec. 12, 1939. R. H. MONEY REFRIGERATOR DOOR Filed Aug. 18, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I 6 v; w

INVENTOR. fan/v0 15f Mam 5x BY QZZMHM ATTORNEYS.

Dec. 12,1939. 7 R, MONEY 2,183,280

REFRIGERATOR no R I v .ElG-IQ B611 INVENTOR.

fax/"v0 19: MONEY.

Mx4 w ATTORNEYS.

Patented Dec. 12 1939 REFRIGERATOR nooR Roland H. Money, Cincinnati, Ohio, assignor to The Grosley Corporation, Cincinnati, Ohio,

corporation of Ohio Application August 18,

7 Claims.

My invention relates to refrigerator doors and particularly to the structural features thereof.

In the art it has been customary to manufacture refrigerator doors from front and back pan- 5 els, the front panel being formed in a box-like I arrangement with a rear wall opening for receiving insulation. The back panels have been secured to wooden strips, which strips have ex tended within the rear wall openings of the front panel. The front panels have been formed with the rear walls having edge portions inclined so as to. contact the wooden strips and be secured thereto. Then breaker strips have provided an interlock between the front and back panels and the wooden strips, the breaker strips being screwed or bolted to the wooden strips in closely spaced positions so as to make the whole assembly rigid. v

It is the object of my invention to provide a greatly simplified door construction wherein the front .and back panels are rigidly secured together with brackets which obviate the necessityv of a multiplicity of screws and a braced support depending substantially on the interlock ofthe breaker strip between the front and rear panels.

Another object is the provision of .a refrigerator door which, though constructively much stronger, may be erected at a considerably lower cost of assembly,

The above objects and other objects to which reference will be made in the ensuing disclosure, I accomplishby that certain combination and arrangement of parts of which I have shown a preferred embodiment.

Referring to the drawings? Figure 1 is a perspective view from the inner side of the metallic outer front panel.

Fig. 2 is a lateral sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. I

insulating material have been inserted.

Fig. 4is an elevation from the rear of the panel shown in sectional view in Fig. 3, the bracing strips being illustrated in position ready to' be inserted.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view from the rear side of the door showing the door assembly with the inner panel in position and with a portion of the i door sealing strip also shown.

' Fig. 6 is a sectional view along the lines 66 in Fig. 5.

Fig. '7 is a perspective view from the rear of the door'sho-wing the manner of mounting the i break r strips.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view showing the I metallic outer frontpanel after the pads of 1938, Serial No. 225,600

Fig. 8 is a perspective view from the rear of I the door after the breaker strips have been ,secured in position.

Fig.9 isv a sectional view 9-9 in Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a side elevation of a corner supporting member which interlocks the edges of the breaker strip at the four corners of the door.

- Fig. 11 is a rear elevation of the corner molding piece illustrated in side elevation in Fig. 10.

taken along the lines lines l2'-l2 in Fig. 11.

Fig. 12. is a sectional view taken along the The refrigerator door is composed'of a front panel l, contoured across the front face of the door as indicated at 2. The panel extends backwardly and forms side edge portions 3, and then the metal is formed with inwardly extending portions 4, which outline an opening 5 in the rear of the main door panel.

It is this opening or box-like compartment which receives the insulation padding material 6, which is ordinarily formed of sheets of fibrous insulative material. I

Angle strips or bands 1 extend across the corners of the inwardly extending portions which the strips 1, are secured spacing brackets 8.

After the insulation is in position, strips which may conveniently be formed of wood 9, are secured in position with the inner edges of the strips bearing against it.

The internally flanged portions which form the rear opening in the door for receiving insulation, have edge portions l0, which form ledges which receive the inner edges of the wooden strips 9, so as to hold these strips in position. The inner door panel I I is provided with channeled portions I! which receive the outer edges of the strips 9, and so hold these strips 9 in position. Machine screws l3 extend through the inner door panels and are received in internally threaded nuts l4,v

' welded to the spacing brackets 8.

Thus it will appear that the wooden strips form spacing members which extend between the outer and inner door panels, being held in position securely by being clamped between the out' er and inner door panels. When the screws iii are tightened down the strips 9 are held rigidly in position. Further the only metal to metal contact is through the spacing brackets 8.

Hinges 15 are secured to the side portions 3 of the front panel. Only a portion of the hinge mechanism is illustrated and it forms no part of my invention.

Fig. 5 shows the assembly of the door includoutline the insulation opening in the door and to against the internally flanged portions 4 of the front panel, being secured as indicated in Fig. 6 by means of tacks l1. to the wooden strips 9. It will further be observed that the resilient sealing strips have flanged edge portions I8 forming a channel l9 which receives the inner edges of the breaker strips.

In Fig. 7 the breaker strips 20 are shown as they are assembled. The inner edges are received in the channels I9 and wood screws 2| extend through holes 22. in the breaker strips and thus secure the breaker strips in position, firmly secured to the wooden strips 9.

Fig. 9 best illustrates the complete assembly of the door. The general appearance of the door after it is completely assembled is best illustrated in Fig. 8. I

Prior to completion of the assembly, corner pieces generally indicated at 23, are inserted at the four corners of the door. The molded corner pieces are formed with channels 24, which receive the end edges of the breaker strips.

The door, assembly of which has just been described, is economical to manufacture and the assembly in factory production can be conveniently made by a series. of operations as the door moves along, one operator performing one step and the next operator performing another. There is not only provided a door, the assembly of which can be carried out with a minimum of labor, but after the door is completely assembled, it will be found to be insulatively very efficient and the appearance is pleasing. The door is not only constructively strong and durable and efficient as far as its insulative properties are concerned, but there is less cost for material and construction than .in any other type of refrigaator door with which I am familiar.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters 1 Patent is:

1. A refrigerator door having a metallic outer front panel contoured across the front face of the door, then extending backwardly forming side edges of the door and then extending inwardly, forming flanged portions outlining an opening formed in the door for receiving fibrous insulation, said flanged portions terminating in lips extending backwardly and inwardly and bracing strips secured diagonally across the corners of the flanged portions in back of the door opening and having bracket portions extending to positions spacedTnwardly from said flanged portions and provided with means for securing an inner door panel in position on the door.

2. A refrigerator door having a metallic outer front panel contoured across the front face of the door, then extending backwardly forming side edges of the door and then extending inwardly, forming flanged portions outlining an opening formed in 'the door for receiving fibrous insulation, said flanged portions terminating in lips extending backwardly and inwardly and bracing strips secured diagonally across the corners of the flanged portions in back of the door opening and having bracket portions extending to positions spaced inwardly from said flanged portions and provided with means for securing an inner door panel in position on the door, said inner door panel having peripheral flanged portions and wooden strips secured in position in said door between the front and back panels, the front edges of the strips bearing against the bracing strips, the inside surfaces of the strips bearing against the said bracket portions and the back edges of the strips bearing against the peripheral flanged portions of the inner panel.

3. A refrigerator door having a metallic outer front'panel contoured across the front face of the door, then extending backwardly forming side edges of the door and then extending inwardly, forming flanged portions outlining an opening formed in the door for receiving fibrous insulation, said flanged portions terminating in lips ex- .tending backwardly and inwardly and bracing and provided with means for securing an innerdoor panel in position on the door, said inner door panel having peripheral flanged portions and wooden strips secured in position in said door between -the front and back panels, the front edges of the strips bearing against the bracing strips, the inside surfaces of the strips bearing against the said bracket portions and the back edges of the strips bearing against the peripheral flanged portions of the inner panel, and breaker strips secured to said woodenstrips.

4. A refrigerator door having a metallic outer front panel contoured across the front face of the door, then extending backwardly forming side edges of the door and then extending inwardly, forming flanged portions outlining an opening formed in the door for receiving fibrous insulation, said flanged portions terminating in lips extending backwardly and inwardly and bracing strips secured diagonally across the corners of the flanged portions in back of the door opening and having bracket portions extending to positions spaced inwardly from said flanged portions and provided with means for securing an inner door panel in position on the door, said inner door panel having peripheral flanged portions and wooden strips secured in position in said door between the front and back panels, the front edges of the strips bearing against the bracing strips, the inside surfaces of the strips bearing against the said bracket portions and the back edges of the strips bearing against the peripheral flanged portions of the inner panel, and breaker strips secured to said wooden strips, said breaker strips being clamped in position at the side edges thereof between the edges of the inner door panel and resilient molding strips secured on the inwardly flanged portions of the front panel.

5. A refrigerator door comprising front and back panels, the front panel formed into a boxlike assembly having spaced front and rear walls and a rectangular opening in the rear wall for the reception of insulating material, and means secured to said rear wall back of said rectangular opening for supporting said back panel in spaced position from said rear wall, wooden strips extending between the back panel and' the rear wall of the front panel, said strips having a side edge bearing against said aforenoted means.

6. A refrigerator door comprising front and back panels, the front panel formed into a boxlike assembly having spaced front and rear walls and a rectangular opening in the rear wall for the reception of insulating material, and means secured to said rear wall back of said rectangular opening for support ng said back panel in spaced position from said rear wall, wooden strips extending between the back panel and the rear wall of the front panel saidstrips having a side edge bearing againstisaid aforenoted -means, and

breaker strips supported at the side edges thereof s between said back panel and the rear wall of said front panel. I

7. A refrigerator door back panels, the front panel formed into a boxlike assembly having spaced front and rear walls and a rectangular opening in the rear wall for the reception of insmatlng material. and means comprising 7 front and secured to said rear wall back of said rectangular opening for supporting said back panel in spaced position from said rear wall, wooden strips extending between the back panel and the rear wall of the front panel, said strips having a side edge bearing against said aforenoted means, and breaker strips supported at the side edges thereof between said back panel and the rear wall of said front panel, said breaker strips secured to 

